The bandit might decide she wasn’t worth the trouble, but she didn’t imagine Niles would feel the same.
The question of his transformation became more vital now. If Niles’ boast was empty, she had little to worry about. But if this transformation was something deeper, something more meaningful, she had a problem.
Her first class passed by in a blur. Alena tried to focus, but compared to the issues of life and death that faced her, ancient literature about flying dragons held little interest.
She doodled in her notes. She had two problems: the bandit and Niles. If she was going to survive, she needed to know how much of a threat each was. She needed to know more.
Every time a student shifted, she startled, expecting to see Niles standing over her, unanswered questions written on his face. But he didn’t even notice her.
By the time the students were summoned for lunch, Alena had reached a decision. The only way to keep her family safe was to learn more. She needed to know who the bandit was and if they would seek her out. And she needed to know how dangerous Niles truly was.
But how would she answer those questions?
15
Brandt’s next visit was to the governor. Before the attack, Kye had known more than anyone about the events transpiring in his region. He was sharp and well-informed. If there was a lead to find, Brandt’s best hope was with him. The wolfblade hoped he wasn’t wrong. He didn’t know where else he could turn.
The journey from the barracks to town hall was blissfully short. Every step caused Brandt’s chest to burn, tendrils of pain branching through his entire body. By the time he arrived at the governor’s workplace he was sweating and out of breath. Perhaps he wasn’t as healed as he thought he was.
His blood-soaked uniform attracted significantly more attention than he would’ve received under normal circumstances. Within moments an aide appeared, and a few moments after that the same aide disappeared into the halls of power, seeking the governor.
Brandt rested on a bench, closed his eyes, and focused on calm breathing. The pain in his chest faded, at least a bit. It wasn’t long before he heard the soft footsteps of another man on the polished wood floors.
He opened his eyes to see the governor standing before him. Kye looked about the same as Brandt felt. His hair was disheveled, he moved slowly, and his eyes didn’t possess the same sharpness Brandt had noticed when they had met just a few days ago. The governor looked like he hadn’t slept for several nights.
Which, Brandt supposed, might actually be the case. The bandit had proven to be no ordinary criminal. Brandt remembered the building toppling on top of Kyler. Such a feat wasn’t possible, just as the cave mouth closing hadn’t been possible. The rumors of the diamond had to be true, as it was the only explanation. And if the rumors were true, Kye had failed the emperor. Brandt wouldn’t be sleeping well, either.
Without a word, the governor beckoned for Brandt to follow. Brandt grimaced as he stood and tailed the governor down the long hallway. The building was surprisingly quiet. Kye wasn’t moving quickly, and to Brandt’s eye, it looked like the governor was injured.
Or just very tired.
Brandt was grateful for the pace. If Kye required him to move any faster than a shuffle, he wasn’t sure he’d remain upright.
After a long journey down a never-ending hallway, they sat in a small, quiet study. This wasn’t a room where the governor usually received guests. Kye’s desk here looked far less organized than the one in his mansion. Papers were scattered all over, and a pot of tea sat off to the side. The governor reached for it and poured two cups. Kye passed one over and the two of them sipped their tea in silence. The drink was colder than it should have been, but the lukewarm liquid still provided a welcome relief from Brandt’s misery. He needed to rest, and soon.
“I — I was very saddened to hear about the loss of the wolfblades.” The governor’s voice was hoarse, as though he had been talking for hours on end. “I’m sorry.”
Brandt couldn’t get the governor to meet his eyes. Kye either stared down at his desk or off into a corner of the room, his eyes unfocused.
Guilt?
But why? Did he feel somehow responsible for the battle that had taken place in his city? “Are you all right?”
Kye gave a grim smile, gesturing to the papers on his desk. “Even after the fight, the bandit isn’t my only problem. Another criminal was killed the day of your fight. Apparently he had no small amount of blackmail on many officials throughout town. His death caused many officials to resign, and the town is barely functioning. So I need to perform tasks others would have done, taking up my time, when all I want is to find who killed my guard and your wolfblades.”
There was a silence as Brandt absorbed the outburst.
What he heard was guilt, some flavor of the same guilt he felt.
Brandt knew those emotions intimately. They had haunted him when he first took command and he questioned every decision. Regardless of the result, he always believed he could have done better. Before this mission he had never lost a soldier, but he had given orders which had injured others, and it had taken him no small amount of time to process even that small guilt.
He couldn’t think about the loss of his friends. If he did, he wasn’t sure he would function at all.
“It’s not your fault,” he said.
Kye shook his head. “I think the bandit was pushed too far. Few of the city guard were killed. It was only when your soldiers and Arrowood attacked that his violence reached its peak.”
The thought hadn’t occurred to Brandt. He supposed it made sense. The bandit hadn’t harmed them in their first exchange. “Well-intentioned
